As it is, religious restrictions in the Islamic republic make it difficult for young men and women to meet in public.

But finding a suitable mate may be about to get even harder.

According to the Iranian news agency FARS, the parliament’s judiciary commission says that those running dating websites in the country should face harsh penalties.

The committee’s spokesman, Farhad Tajari, said that the providers are committing a crime in running their allegedly immoral sites.

Last year, the popular partner-finding website hamsarchat.com, which means “Spouse Chat” in Farsi, was accused of promoting prostitution. After the presiding judge in the case consulted senior ayatollahs, the site was banned.

The URL now forwards users to iranzendegi.com, or Iran Life. Despite the less obvious name, it is also a dating site.

Journalists In Trouble

RFE/RL journalists take risks, face threats, and make sacrifices every day in an effort to gather the news. Our "Journalists In Trouble" page recognizes their courage and conviction, and documents the high price that many have paid simply for doing their jobs. More